Menu

Vacation Cottage Rental

View of cottage in summer

Year-Round Cottage on Metcalf Pond, near Smugglers Notch ski area in Fletcher, Vermont

Enjoy world-class skiing in winter, fishing and swimming in summer, and a relaxing getaway any time of year. This large cottage is on Metcalf Pond, a small lake in one of the most scenic areas of Vermont. The Smugglers Notch ski area is just a 13-mile drive.

The design is rustic—but it has been subjected to several additions and improvements over the years. It has most of the conveniences you might expect at home, such as a full kitchen, WiFi, satellite TV, and washer and dryer for your laundry. Extras include an outdoor hot tub, a large private yard, and a wood-burning fireplace on the enclosed porch.

Picnic table by dock

The private lake frontage is separate, across a quiet road from the cottage. It has a picnic table, lawn chairs, a fire pit, and other modest facilities, plus use of a canoe, rowboat, and kayak. We have 25 feet of owned frontage with a small private dock.

Available Dates, 2019

During the peak summer period (July, August, and weeks that overlap into those months), we try to limit reservations to full weeks, Saturday to Saturday. (However, if you see a shorter period still available on the calendar, check with us as we may be able to make an exception.) Check-in is any time after 3 p.m., and check-out is any time up to 10 a.m. Shorter rental periods are available the rest of the year, with a two-day minimum. The daily rates, of course, are lowest if you reserve for a full week. The following is a listing of dates available as of today.

2019 Availability

September 8 (p.m.) – September 12 (a.m.)

September 16 (p.m.) = September 20 (a.m.)

October 14 (p.m.) – October 18 (a.m.)

October 27 (p.m.) – December 23 (a.m.)

December 27 (p.m.) December 29 (a.m.)

If you are interested in dates that are currently reserved and would like to be put on a waiting list in case of a cancellation, then send us an email.

Note: We are exploring possible sale of the cottage. We guarantee that all 2019 reservations will be honored, but cannot yet take firm reservations for 2020.

Sleeping Quarters & Living Space

The cottage blends old and new styles. The “tower bedroom” on the second floor has knotty-pine paneling, a queen-sized bed, plenty of closet space, and a sliding-glass door to an outdoor balcony. The other second-floor bedroom, in the older portion of the cottage, has a low ceiling, so it is a logical room for children but also comfortable for adults. It has two single beds with a trundle under each. Therefore, it can provide sleeping space for anywhere from two to as many as four people, although there is relatively little floor space if all beds are pulled out.

Queen-size bed, in room that opens to second-floor balcony

The stairway is fairly typical of a cottage that was originally designed decades ago—sturdy and with a railing, but a bit steeper and narrower than one might expect in a typical modern house.

For additional sleeping space, the downstairs family room—the “Murphy Room”—has a full-size Murphy bed and also a full-size fold-down futon couch. Both are far more comfortable than you might expect with “extra” bedding. The doorway closes with a curtain, and when the curtain is open, the room becomes an extension of the living room.

The living room has a gas fireplace and comfortable chairs. There is a television with DVD player. Reception comes via satellite — about 50 channels, but not a lot of extra premium channels. We also have on hand miscellaneous puzzles, books, games, and DVDs. We supply a small stereo system.

A large downstairs bathroom has a tub with shower, as well as a washer and dryer for your laundry. A smaller half-bath, with toilet and vanity, is upstairs.

Dining area opens tokitchen

A glassed-in porch opens out onto a deck. We refer to this as the “sun porch,” although that is not quite technically accurate because it is on the north side of the cottage. The porch is unheated and not built with the intention of holding heat in winter, but it does have a wood-burning fireplace, so even in winter you may enjoy an occasional gathering around a fire. During summer, it’s a pleasant place to enjoy your morning coffee, or to spend an evening protected from mosquitoes. Some of our guests have found it to be a comfortable place to sleep on warm nights.

An outdoor hot tub sits in back of the house. It is a four-person tub, although it may seem a bit crowded with more than two or three adults. The back yard is quite large and relatively private, and features a swing set, sandbox, and hammock

Cooking & Eating

The kitchen is large and well-equipped

For cooking, summer guests may enjoy the charcoal grill on the deck, but you’ll also appreciate the full kitchen inside—with gas range, full-size refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, coffee maker, toaster, coffee grinder, etc. It is well-designed for cooking and serving—several of our guests have commented that it is the perfect party kitchen.

The dining table seats six comfortably. Cookware, dishes, etc. are provided. The running water comes from a deep well, so it is good to drink.

Accommodations

When you arrive, you’ll find the refrigerator stocked with miscellaneous food items, particularly appropriate for breakfasts, such as eggs, milk, coffee, sausages, and English muffins, as well as condiments and other basics, so that you can relax upon arrival, with no pressure to stock up with groceries right away. The cottage is completely furnished, including dishes, cookware, towels, linens, etc., and you’ll find the beds already made when you get here. We won’t intrude on your privacy to change the sheets or make the beds during your stay, but you’ll find plenty of extra linens.

A land-line telephone is provided. The phone number is unpublished, to protect guests from unwanted calls. However, if you make reservations and want the number to give to family and friends before you leave home, we will be happy to provide it. Note that cell-phone reception may be erratic at the cottage, depending on your carrier. (For some services it may be a dead spot–others may get a bar or two.)

The TV is connected to a satellite, with about 50 basic channels. (This is basic service, without many “premium” channels.) We provide a wireless network (DSL) for your laptop or other devices..

Pets are welcome, as long as they are kept under control by their owners. If your pet causes damage to the property, or causes disruptions in the neighborhood, you will be expected to assume responsibility. If your pet sheds, we will greatly appreciate your efforts to vacuum up pet hair before you check out, keeping in mind that the next guests may have allergies. With those caveats, this is a pet-friendly cottage in a pet-friendly neighborhood.

We do not have a big crew of cleaners to scrub every surface between guest visits, and often we have just four hours, including any maintenance or repairs that may be needed.. Our standard is to be sure the cottage is as neat and clean as we would expect for use by us and by our extended family. If we miss anything significant, we appreciate being told by our guests so that we can address the problem and also add it to our cleaning routines. We don’t claim to be perfect, but we make every effort to present a neat a comfortable place to stay.

If you smoke, we ask that you step outdoors before lighting up.

View of cottage in summer

On cool days, enjoy a wood
fire on the enclosed porch

Ample space to relax and
socialize in the living area

The cozy living-room areaincludes a gas fireplace

Living-room extension can be curtained off as extra bedroom

Dining area opens to kitchen

Attached deck offers space to relax, dine, and entertain

The kitchen is large and well-equipped

Laundry facilities in large downstairs bathroom

Two twin beds, but withtrundles, there’s room for four

Queen-size bed, in roomthat opens to second-floor balcony

The tall cabinet at right pulls down as a comfortable Murphy bed

Outdoor hot tub is available year-around. It is conveniently located on the walkway behind the house, near the back door.

Night view of hot tub, with underwater lights and waterfall feature.

Another view of enclosed porch

The lake frontage includes space to relax, and use of a rowboat or canoe.

Back yard includes play area for kids

Winter view: it’s just a short drive to the slopes

A longer view of our lake frontage

Photo taken by a guest on a calm day at our lakefront (courtesy Robert Strey)

The road from the cottage after a snowfall. (Photo by Joanne Sanders)

The lake in Autumn
(Photo by Joanne Sanders)

Videos

Home Video, Cottage in Winter. Since this was put together, upgrades have been made, including a fancier hot tub and a rebuilt fireplace.

Home Video, Lake Frontage. Since this was put together, there have been some changes in the lakeside furniture and boats

2019 Rates, Reservations, and Cancellations

Most rentals during the summer peak are for a full week, Saturday to Saturday. At other times of year, the schedule is more flexible and the minimum stay is two nights. Daily rates vary according to whether they are in peak or non-peak times of year. The best bargains are always for full weeks.

Deposit to secure reservation (nonrefundable in most circumstances): $100 (minimum) for up to a week

Balance (after deposit) due no later than scheduled arrival date

Rates are subject to Vermont 9% rooms tax

Check-in after 3 p.m. Check-out by 10 a.m.

Peak Dates for Daily Rates:

Jan. 1 – 3

MLK Weekend

President’s Day Weekend

Summer dates if available

Labor Day Weekend

Oct. 1-15 (Foliage)

Dec. 24-31 (Holiday)

Summer Peak Weekly Rates:

July, August, and weeks overlapping into those months.

We request that you make every effort to be sure of your travel plans before you make a reservation. Please keep in mind that the time you reserve is made unavailable to anybody else, and we may turn away many others who are inquiring about that period. Because most people plan vacations well in advance, it is often difficult to re-rent with short notice. For that reason, the deposit is nonrefundable. The balance of the rental fee for the week will be excused if you cancel at least a month ahead of the scheduled date, or if we are able to re-rent.

Payments may be made by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover) or by cash or check. We have also recently added PayPal as an option. Credit-card reservations may be made by phone (802-482-2988) or by exchanging e-mail with us. (However, do not include your credit-card number in a standard email.) If you pay by credit card (as the majority of our guests do), it is usually most convenient to provide the credit-card information by telephone.

To Pay Your Deposit On Line…

If you prefer to pay your $100 deposit on-line by credit card, we have set up a secure order form for that purpose. If you use the shopping cart, you can use any major credit card but the charge will be processed by PayPal. (If you give us your card information by telephone, we charge the card directly through our gateway service, Authorize.net.

Our credit-card gateway is designed mainly to take book orders for our home business. Therefore, it’ll ask about a shipping charge; but choose the option for rentals that avoids the shipping charge. If anything gets confusing, remember that you can always make your credit-card payment by phone, at 802-482-2988. We answer during extended hours weekdays, evenings, and weekends. However, there are just two of us, so you may occasionally reach voice mail. If you do, please leave a message and we promise to get back as quickly as possible.